Spindle



Oct. 29, 1940. H, B. AHLBERG SPINDLE Filed Dec. 19, 1959 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Oct.. 29, 1940 'l UNITED STATES SPINDLE Henry Berger Ahlberg, Attleboro, Mass., assignor to H & B American Machine Company, a corporation of Maine Application December 19, 1939, Serial No. 309,999

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to spindles, and more particularly to the covering spindles of strand wrapping apparatus; and has for one of its objects the provision of simple and efficient 5. means for receiving and retaining the revolving driving band in an idling position to permit the changing of the package of the covering material carried by the spindle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a driving whorl fast to the spindle for rotating the same and the package of covering material carried thereon, and an idler whorl so arranged for receiving the revolving driving band during changes of the packages when they are stationary, wherein the idler whorl will at all times be prevented from coming into frictional engagement with the driving whorl.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a spindle structure of the above type spacing 20 means of simple and inexpensive construction between the driving and idler whorls for separating and maintaining the whorls out of frictional contact, but which will not interfere with the normal operationof the spindle.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly vpointed out in the appended claims.-

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig, 1 is a central longitudinal sectional View of a strand covering spindle embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the split ring member for separating and retaining the driving and idlerwhorls from touching each other.

It is desirable in the operation of hollow rotary strand covering spindles of the type in which there is mounted for rotation by the spindle blade an annular cylindrical package of the strand covering material which is carried by and held between a pair of annular flanges frictionally engaging the opposite ends of the usual center tube of the package, that means should be provided for receiving the revolving driving band of the spindles while the package is stationary during changing ofthe same without the necessity of stopping the driving band or the entire machine when effecting such package changes; and in order to obtain this advantageous result, I have provided an idler whorl loose on the spindle and located adjacent to the usual driving whorl which is fast on the spindle blade, preferably below the driving whorl, whereby the revolving driving band or belt member may be slid off the driving whorl onto the idler whorl in order to stop the spindle rotation when changing packages thereon without stopping the rotation of either the entire machine or that of the shifted band; andI have further provided spacing means located between the driving and the `idler whorls for retaining the same at all times in a separated spaced relationship and to prevent and keep the idler whorl from accidentally touching the driving whorl to cause rotation of the spindle blade and the package thereon when the driving band is accommodated by and imparting rotary movement to the idler whorl; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustratingV the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, I generally designates a strand covering spindle having a tubular basel II of stepped formation which is cushioned to the usual spindle rail I2 by a suitable resilient material I3, such as a cork washer, and yeldingly held in place on the rail by means of a spring I'4 encircling the lower tubular portion I5 of the `base projecting through the rail, the spring I4 being interposed between the underside of the rail I2 and the top end face of a nut I6 having screw threaded connection, as by means of suitable screw threads Il, to the threadedbottom end portion of the tubular portion I5 of the base. The spindle I0 is provided with the usual spindle blade which is mounted on suitable anti-friction bearings 2l and 22 for rotation in the base II by means of the usual whorl 24 fasty to the spindle anddriven by a driving band 25, preferably of a resilient structure, .connected to any suitable source of power (not shown).` l A l f i' Disposed above the whorl 24 and carried by the spindle blade is the usual package 26 of the strand covering vmaterial which, as shown in Fig. 1, is held at both ends between the two circular flanges 28 and 29 each having a plurality of prongsvSIl and 3| respectively, which wedgingly engage at diametrically opposite points the inner peripheral wall surface of the center tubular core33 of the package 26 at the opposite end openings thereof.

An adapter device 35, such as that shown, described, and claimed in the copending patent application of Walsh and Ahlberg, filed on even date herewith, Ser. No. 310,000, and consisting of an elongated tubular member, extends between and telescopically receives and frictionally connects the spindle blade 20 and the tubular stud 36 which depends from the underside vof the upper flange member 29.

The top flange 29 carries a rigid upstanding center auxiliary hollow spindle blade 38 on the upper free end portion of which is slidably mounted a tubular frustro-conical, pointed tip member or bullet 39, the top edge of which provides a circular `guide over which the strand of covering material 40 being withdrawn from the package 28 is Wrapped around the elastic core 4I to be covered by means of the rotary action of the flier 42 during the upwardly advancing move'- ment of the core through the hollow spindle blade. l

The lower flange 28 is suitably afxed to the driving whorl 24, as by means of screws 45, whereby rotation of the drivingwhorl 24 by means of a band 25 will cause rotation of the package 26 and the bullet 39 in unison.

To stop the Vspindle Il) to enable changes of the package 26 to be made whenever necessary, I have provided an idler whorl 46 which is loosely rotatable upon an upright tubular extension 41 integral with and rising upwardly from the base Il. `As illustrated, the idler whorl 46 is of smaller diameter and is co-axially positioned belowv and close to the driving whorl 24 to enable the revolving driving band 25 to be readily andeasily slid 01T the whorl 24 onto the idler whorl 46 to rotate the latter on the extension 41,` while the package is stationary during changes of the same. A split ring or washer 48 resiliently secured to the tube extension 41 and located between the driving whorl 24 and the idler whorl 46 acts asa separator to retain the whorls in spaced relationship at all times and prevent their adjacent end faces from rubbing against each other so as to cause rotation of the driving and the idler whorls.

The foregoing `description is directed solely towardsY the construction illustrated, but'I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical'changes to which the device is susceptible; I claim:

1. A spindle for strand Wrapping apparatus, comprising a rotatable spindle blade, a whorl fast to said spindle blade for driving thesame, means carried by said spindle bladefor holding and rotating a package of covering material in unison with the rotary movement of the'spindle blade,

and an idler whorlloosely rotatable on a stationary part of the spindle and co-aXial with and positioned below the driving whorl to receive and temporarilyretain a revolving drivingband for driving the spindle blade and onto which means the band may b e lslid from a driving position on the driving whorl so as to stop the spindle rotation whenever changes of the package material are to be made with no stopping of the revolving band, said idler whorl being so arranged as to be always held out of frictional engagement with the driving whorl, and a detachable, resilient member for preventing said idler whorl from touching said driving whorlto cause the latter to be rotated when said revolving driving band is positioned on said idler whorl.

2. A spindle for strand wrapping apparatus, comprising a rotatable spindle blade, a whorl fast to said spindle blade for driving the same, means carried by said spindle blad-e for holding and rotating a package of covering material in unison with the rotary movement of the spindle l blade, and an idler whorl loosely rotatable on a stationary part of the spindle and co-aXial with and positioned below the driving whorl to receive and temporarily retain a revolving driving band for driving the spindle blade and onto which means the band may be slid from a driving position on the driving whorl so as to stop the spindle rotationwhenever changes of the package material are to be made with no stopping of the revolving band, said idler whorl being so arranged as to be always held out of frictional engagement with the driving whorl, and a split ring member positioned between said whorls to separate the same for preventing said idler whorl from touching said driving whorl to-.cause the latter to be rotated when said revolving drivingband is positioned on said idler whorl.

3. A spindle for str-and wrapping apparatus, comprising a base having an upright tubular eX- tension member, a spindle blade rotatable therein, a whorl fast to said spindle blade for driving the-same, means carried by said spindle` blade for holding and rotating a package of covering material in unison with the rotary movement of the spindle blade,k an idler whorl carried by and loosely rotatable on said `tubular extension member of the base, said idler whorl being co-axial with and located below said driving whorl, and a split ring member on said tubular extension and positioned between said whorls to separate the same at all times and prevent their adjacent ends from touching each other whereby no rotation of the driving whorl and the package -by the band will result when the revolving band is lpositioned on the idler whorl.

4. A spindle for strand wrapping apparatus, comprising a non-rotatable tubular support, a rotatable spindle blade therein, a whorl fast to said spindle blade for driving the same, means carried by said spindle bladeior holding and rotating a package of coveringmaterial in unison with the rotary movement of the spindle blade, an idler whorl-loosely rotatable .on said support and co-axial with and positioned below the drivingwhorl to receive and temporarily retain a revolving driving band fordriving the spindle blade and onto which idler whorl the band may be slid from a driving position with respect to the driving whorl so as to stop the spindle rotation whenever changes of the package of the covering material are to be made with no stopping of the revolving band, said idler whorl being so arranged as to be held always out of frictional engagement with the driving whorl, and spacing means carried by said support having a portion interposed between said driving and idler whorls to be engaged by an edge of said idler whorl for preventing said idler whorl from engaging said driving whorl to cause the latter to be rotated when said revolving driving band is positioned on said idler whorl.

HENRY B. AHLBERG. 

